Nabeshima Fukuchiyo Sake Brewery 鍋島

Awarded Champion Sake from the International Wine Challenge (IWC) in 2011, this was a turning point for Fukuchiyo Sake Brewery and their Nabeshima line sakes.

In the southern area of Saga Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Fukuchiyo Sake Brewery is located in the seaside town of Kashima. The current Toji & President Naoki Iimori is the 3rd generation, who returned to the family brewery in 1987 and established the ‘Nabeshima’ brand. In a region famous for its shochu production, it was Mr. Iimori’s dedication & passion to craft a high-quality sake that can represent Kyushu, which eventually led to its numerous awards and recognitions.

In a time when quality sake consumption was declining, being pushed out by cheaper mass-produced products, Mr. Iimori continued to pursue quality above all and partnered up with local sake retailers who shared the same views of crafting a sake that is representative of Kyushu. This slowly led to Nabeshima sakes appearing in more retail shops and restaurants locally and eventually making its way to Tokyo retailers and restaurants.

The Nabeshima labelled sakes are the only one in the lineup produced and its name was chosen through a local newspaper contest. Nabeshima is the family name of a Samurai clan that once controlled Saga over 300 years ago and symbolizes the pride and respect of the people living in Saga.

The entire lineup is vast but the sakes will always be vibrant and have beautiful freshness. This is partly accomplished by a longer, low-temperature ferment which often takes over a month to complete. All sakes are muroka or made without charcoal filtration; sourcing quality rice is essential.

Currently, Mr. Iimori is joined by the 4th generation of the family, Hinako Iimori, who at a very young age decided to join the family brewery. Taking on her father’s passion and learning under him, her work encompasses being part of the entirety of production as well as promoting the Nabeshima sakes across the globe.